


Penance for Paucity

by Quin



Category: Original Work
Genre: Bad Ending, Character Death, Gen, Gen Work, Original Character(s), Sentient Scarecrow - Freeform, Trick or Treat: Trick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-12-09 17:37:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20998730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quin/pseuds/Quin
Summary: Upon realising that he was being mistreated, Ed desperately tried to find a solution to his pain.





	Penance for Paucity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [diefleder_tey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/diefleder_tey/gifts).

> Thank you to ictus for the beta.

His arms felt stiff and sore. He didn’t know how much longer he was able to hold them upright, but he had to. Ed blinked against the scorching sunlight. His hat was slowly sliding off, and there was nothing he could do about it. The wooden rod in his back hurt. No matter how he tried to move, it was always there, itching, stinging, like a burning sensation that was part of him. What on earth had Carlton done to him?

If Ed could only remember. Duty, duty, duty. Those were the words echoing in his mind. He stared at the field surrounding him, and then back at the grand farmhouse – no, it was actually a grand manor. Why did he have to wear rags and endure every whim of the weather when Carlton indulged in such luxury? Even the tractor possessed a roof over his head in the form of a wooden carport. Cold raged bubbled up inside Ed. He was the merest of slaves on Carlton’s estate. Oh, how he longed for freedom.

Listening to the caw caw caw of the crows circling around his head, Ed gave them a hard stare. The flock backed off, though after a few minutes they approached once more, as if waiting for something particular. Ed had never talked to one of them. Carlton usually shouted abuse at the crows when he saw them, calling them parasites, robbers.

Once, Ed had fallen over, lying face down in the dirt. He hadn’t seen anything, of course, but had heard the crows chopping away at the cabbages with their beaks. Then gunshots, Carlton kicking him in the head – for what, his head had hurt so much afterwards – before raising him up again.

Ed didn’t quite understand Carlton’s attitude. The farmer earned so much while all the cows and hens did the work for him, so he could certainly spare a pumpkin or two for the less fortunate.

Cheapskate. Somebody needed to teach Carlton a lesson on humbleness. Being out in the fields all day, Ed had a lot of time to think. But two minds worked better than one.

Ed tried to put on the best smile he was able to offer. He knew the corners of his mouth had the unfortunate tendency to droop. All he had to do was just let his smile reach his eyes, right?

Ed looked at the crows again, hoping his crooked teeth wouldn’t deter them. He winked repeatedly at the biggest bird in the flock. Please come down, please come down, he silently prayed. And lo and behold, they actually descended from the skies and landed on his left arm.

The crow eyed him skeptically. “What do you want of us? Trick us again, so your lord can kill us this time? I only came down because the others suggested your lord would want to strike a deal with us: food for leaving, but I seriously doubt it. He wouldn’t leave a rotten corn cob outside even though it holds no benefit for him.”

Ed would have held up his arms in surrender, but as they seemed to be bound on a crossbar, he could only say earnestly: “No, no, no. It’s not what you think it is. I need your help.”

The crow fluffed their feathers. “Oh, the mighty scarecrow needs our help? Don’t take us crows for fools. I’ll notice if you start playing games.”

Ed breathed heavily. “Honestly, I… I..,” he stuttered, suddenly feeling self-conscious, before blurting out, “I hate Carlton, probably more than you do.”

“How so? You live on his farm after all. He put you up, he gave you a life. You owe him.”

“I want to be free of these chains, to get away, and do what my heart desires, not what Carlton demands.” Ed’s voice was about to break. He whimpered as a gust of wind shook him up. “Please get me out of here and you can scavenge the fields as much as you like. I couldn’t care less.”

The crow held their beak up high. “I don’t like traitors. How can I be sure that if you are willing to betray Carlton, you won’t stab us in the back either?”

“Look, just untie me from this wooden post, wait until I’ve walked a safe distance away and then feast! Carlton left the farm for two days for a meeting with the Farmers’ Association.” The crow shook their head and Ed’s heart sunk. They snorted, then let out a raucous cackle.

“You’re a funny little man, I noticed. A funny little man without wings and without legs. But thank you for the entertaining talk. Now that I’ve checked you out, I see you’re all hat and no cattle. We crows neither have to fear nor rely on you.”

The crow turned around, so Ed couldn’t see their face anymore. They rasped repeatedly at the sky, turning it pitch black in an instant. The cawing increased into a deafening crescendo, causing the small pieces of wood in Ed’s ears to splinter. He let out an anguished cry that was drowned by the sound of beaks hacking away at turnips, corn and whatever else the crows could devour.

Within a few minutes, Carlton’s farm resembled a barren wasteland. Not even weeds survived. Before Ed had any time to process the events, he heard the sound of a tractor’s engine. Carlton’s tractor’s engine. Wait? Why was he back already?

Ed screwed his eyes shut, but as much as he wanted, he couldn’t turn his head. Suddenly, his scarf seemed to be tighter than usual, choking him. He needed to get out. Now. He needed a plan. One of the hens could help him? Or would the cows be more trustworthy?

Furious curses and a loud, heavy stomping interrupted Ed’s thoughts, all accompanied by a grinding sound. As if Carlton dragged something behind him.

Why did he have no feet? Ed thought to himself. He could have chased the crows away if he had been able to walk. But these were useless musings. Musings that were supposed to distract him from the inevitable.

Nobody was going to give him an answer to his purpose in life. Nobody or nothing except the cold blade of an axe cutting into his rod, over and over again. Biting pain ate into Ed with every swing of the axe, spreading throughout his whole body. His head felt like it would burst at any minute; his back was burning up. His senses overwhelmed with agony, he crashed. From his position on the ground, Ed saw the sunlight reflected in the steel one last time.


End file.
